Process of manufacturing harness-saddles.



No. 864,892. PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907.

U. H. GRINGS.

PROCESS OF MANUFAGTURING'HARNESS SADDLES.

APPLICATION FILED 00120. 1906.

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WITNESSES.-

PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1.907.

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PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING HARNESS SADDLES.

APPLICATION rum) ocmo. 1906.

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PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907.

PROCESS OF'MANUFAGTURING HARNESS SADDLES. APPLICATION FILED 00120. 1906.

WITNESSES.-

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INVENTOR. k MW, GY'Lllflyg BY j WbA Ub C ATTORNE' UNITED STATES PA'FENTOFFICE.

CASPER H. GRINGS, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DUBUQUEHARNESS & SADDLERY COMPANY, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF lOWA.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING HARNESS-SADDLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1.907.

Application filed October 20, 1906. Serial No. 339,866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CASPER H. GRINGS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in the Processes forManufacturing Harness-Saddles, of which the following is aspecification.

In the manufacture of what is known as sewed bottom harness saddles, thebottom part is usually stitched or united to the bur or top piece beforethe pads are stuffed. By this mode of construction it is necessary toleave a space at each end for the insertion of the packing material.This process is not only slow and expensive, requiring skilled workmenand much more thread but also results in lumpiness and lack ofuniformity in the bottoms or pads and necessitates severaldisconnections of the thread.

The object of my invention is to provide a mode whereby the pads aresmoothly and evenly stuffed and are counterparts of each other, also arestitched or united to the bur or top piece after theyhave been fullypacked.

A further object is to stuff the packing in the pad bottom in the moldby uniform pressure and leave the pad bottom projecting out around themold in such a manner that it may be united to the bur or.

top piece on the outside of the mold after the pad has been. packed andwhile'under pressure.

It consists in a general way, in placing the pad bottom or face coveringof the pad in a mold of the size desired and filling the packing intothe pad bottom, then submitting the same to pressure within the moldwhile the edges of the pad bottom project out around the mold, and afterthe is packed and before the pressure is released to place thereon thebur or top piece and stitch it to the pad bottom, preferably by removingit to and stitching it by a sewing machine.

It further consists in means whereby the pressure may be retained on thepacked pad, while. the bur or top piece is placed in position forfastening and in 7 means whereby the bur piece may be stitched to thepad bottom so close to the outside of the packed pad, that when thepressure is released there will be the minimum of expansion of thecompressed packing and the stitching will be continuous and unbrokenaround the saddle.

The mode of carrying out my process and the utilities attendant thereonwill be fully set out in the following specification and drawingsaccompanying the same and forming a part hereof, which drawings willillustrate a convenient mode of carrying out my process.

Figure l is a perspective view of the press. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of the mold. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the frame that carriesthe mold shown in Fig. 2. Fig. .4 is a perspective view of the guidingbox. Fig. 5 is a cross section through line :r:-:z; of

Fig. 4. 6 is a perspective view of a block used with Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is aplan view of certain details. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of theretaining plate. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the clamps. Fig.

10 is a plan view of the pad bottom or face covering of the pads beforethey are placed in the mold. Fig.

11 shows a perspective view of the bur-piece or outer covering of thepads. Fig. 12 is a cross section of the packed pad and mold showing aneedle in through the bur-piece and pad bottom and in position forsewing. Fig. 13 is a plan view of the straw boards or flexible plates.Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a portion of the plate 75, shown inFig. 7.

Like figures of reference denote corresponding parts in each of thedrawings.

Referring to the drawings 2, designates a press which consist of a solidbase 4 in which are secured posts 5 one near each end. The posts areconnected at their 7 5 top by a plate 12, forming with the base arectangular frame. Between the base 4 and the top 12, there is placed ata convenient height for the operator, a plat form 6 movable verticallyon the posts 5 which platform is sustained upon the post 7 fastened inthe base 4 and is recessed out at 10 in a rectangular shape. l.hroughthe platform 6 are holes 8 for the purposes presently to appear.

Through the top plate 12 is a screw hole provided with threads throughwhich is inserted a screw 14 provided with a lever 15 and knobs orhandle 1.6. To the lower end of the screw 14 is loosely secured a block18 which block is cut away at 20 to correspond with the recess 10 in theplatform 6 and is provided with arms 22, which, when the block 18 isdrawn up by the screw, the arms 22 engage on both sides of the plate 12and serve not only as guides but hold the block 18 from rotating withthe screw when it is raised and lowered by the screw.

Upon the plate 6 is removably secured a frame 25 shown in Fig. 3. Thisframe is constructed of a base plate 26 cut away at 28 and provided withopenings 30.

Also in the base of the plate are set two lugs 32 which project upwardand are provided with pins 34. The ends 35 of the frame 25 are securedto the base plate 26 or cast integral therewith and are cut away at 36,leaving shoulders 38.

Below the shoulder 38 is secured a plate 40 by the bolts 42 and isprovided with slots 44, one at each end, leaving the two fingers or arms45. This frame is rigidly bolted to the platform 6 by bolts through theholes 30 in the frame and holes 8 in the platform.

The mold or packing box 46 is formed with two co1npartments or molds 48made preferably of cast metal, having the upper edges 50 very thin witha portion cut away at 52, also cut away on the under side between themolds 48 at 54 and provided with lugs 55 having holes 56. These lugs areset on the bottom of the molds 48 and the pins 34 on the lugs 32 engagethe holes 56 and retain the molds in a predetermined position.

For the purpose of aiding in readily and evenly placing the packing inthe molds, there is provided a guiding box shown in Fig. 4 whichconsists of a rectangular plate (50 cut away at 62 in the form of thetop of the mold, shown in Fig. 2. To the side of the plate around thisopening (52 is secured a thin guide plate 64 preferably made of sheetmetal. The plate 60 may be provided with holes 66 there through whichare adapted to engage with hooks 68 secured in the under side of theplate 12 and hold up the box 60 at certain times. The guide plates 64are cut away at 70 for the purpose of providing a space for theinsertion of the block 72, shown in Fig. 6. The plate 60 with the guideplate (34 may be made of sheet metal.

For the purpose of retaining the pressure on the In old at a certaintime in the process, there are provided two plates which are of thelength and thickness tgslide into the slots 44 between the lingers 45 ofthe plate -f0. The plates are provided with projections 76 along theiredges and with a longer projection 77 near the outer edge and in therear of the plate is a rib or back 78 to strengthen and to serve asguides for the placing or centering of the bur-piece. Between these twoplates 75 are placed two rigid metal plates 80 having irregular curvededges, which are curved to correspond with the projections 76 on theplates 75 so that these projections will not come in contact with theplates 80 where the plates extend to nearly the body of the plate 75.When the plates are in position there is a space 82 between them.

The retaining member 84 shown in Fig. 8 is formed of a base plate 85 towhich is secured a bar 86 having a part cut away at 88. bent in nearlyrectangular shape with rounded corners and screw threaded in one end inwhich is inserted a screw 92. This clamp is preferably of the width ofone half of the cut away portion 88 for the purposes presently toappear. There is also provided two straw boards or flexible plates 98.

The manner in which the various parts are assembled and the mode wherebythe process is carried out is substantially as follows. Starting withthe frame 25, shown in Fig. 3, securely bolted upon the platform asbefore described, the operator places the mold 46, upon the frame 25with the holes 56 in engagement with the pins 34, whereby the correctposition of the mold is quickly determined. He then places the padbottoms 95 for the pads over the molds 48, and the central strip ofleather 96 over 52 and places thereon guide box 60 with the ends of thebox on the shoulders 38 and the block 72 in the opening 70. The leatheror pad bottoms 95 are pressed down into the molds with their edgesprojecting outward over the top of the molds, and the packing is thrownin on top of them through the guide box 60 until there is sufficient tofill the molds and as the block 72 is between the two molds 48, eachmold will have a separate packing. The size of the guide box willdetermine the amount of packing and as each pressure from the screw 14is released.

In Fig. 9 is shown a clamp 90 compartment is of the same size, therewill be a uniformity in the packing in the two pads. After the packingis distributed in the molds there is placed upon the top of the packinga follow board 98, which is preferably made of paste board or some otherrigid though flexible material, and over these the steel plates 80. Thenthe operator grasps the handles 16 of the lever 15 and screws down theblock 18 into'the plates 80 and compresses the packing into the mold.When it has been sufficiently compressed, the operator raises the guidebox 60, holds it up by the engagement of the hooks 68 with the holes 66and removes the block 72. Then the operator slides the plates 75 intothe slots 44 on each side and the points 76 project over upon the pasteboards 98. The screw 14 is reversed and the pressure by the block 18upon the plates 80 is removed, but the pressure upon the packing isretained by the plates 7 5, and the boards 98. The plates 80 are removedand the bur piece 100 is placed within the plates 75 and by the backs 78of these plates and their ends 77 the bur piece 100 is centered in theproper place therein over the molds. The retaining bar 84 shown in Fig.8 is then placed upon the bur piece 100 and the press is again broughtdown until just as it touches the top of the bar 86 and while it isgoing down the plates 75 are withdrawn and the original pressure isplaced upon the packing through the retaining bar 84. Then the clampshown in Fig. 9 is brought into action and is inserted through theopenings 20 and 10 and the cut away space 54 resting upon one side ofthe space 52 next to one of the molds and the screw 92 is tightened.Then the The various parts will now have the position shown in Fig. 12,with the edges of the pad bottom 95 still projecting outwardly over themold, and the bur or top piece resting upon these edges over the moldand in position to be united together, and the retaining plate 84 heldupon the bur piece 100 by the clamp 90 and holding the packing withinthe mold still under pressure of the clamp. The operator now removes themold 46 from the frame 25, with the packing therein still under pressureby the clamps, and takes it to the stitching machine. It will now beseen that as the edges of the pad bottom and the bur piece project outover the mold and as the mold is exceedingly thin at the top, the needle102 can stitch the bur-piece and pad bottom to gether close up to thepacking. The operator of the stitching machine preferably commences tostitch at, say 105, as shown in Fig. 2, stitching around to the right ofthe mold and then around the left until he comes to 106, then he placesa clamp similar to the clamp 90 upon the opposite side of the mold andremoves the original clamp 90. He then can stitch through to the point105 the place of beginning and finish the stitching. It will also beobserved that one operator having several molds 46 can devote his timeexclusively to packing the molds and another to the fastening orstitching and that neither of them need necessarily be skilled or expertworkmen. In this manner the pads may be packed and saddles finished in acomparatively short time with an unbroken stitch, no waste of thread anduniformity and evenness of packing.

It will be seen that the stitching or uniting is with an unbroken threadentirely around both of the pads alter the pads have been packed andwhile the packing is still under pressure and compressed in the mold andthat the stitching is close to the packing, also, when the operator hasreached the point 105 the pad bottoms and the bur-piece are unitedtogether entirely around both of the padsand across the leather strips96 between the pads.

Having now described my invention what I claim is;

l. The process of manufacturing harness saddles which consist in firstcompressing the packing in the pad bottoms within the mold, placing thebnrpiece upon the com pressed packing in mold, removing the mold withthe packed pads therein from the" press and retaining the pressure onthe bur-piece and packing within the mold, then uniting the bur-pieceand the pad bottom while the pads and bur-piece are under pressurewithin the mold.

2. The process tor lnanutacturing harness saddles, which consists infirst packing the pads in a mold placing the bur-piece upon the packedpads without releasing the pressure on the packed pads in the mold, thenremoving the mold with the compressed packing therein and whollystitching the pad bottoms to the bur-piece after packing while the padsare within the mold and under pressure P. The process of manufacturingharness saddles, which consists in placing the pad bottoms in a moldwith their edges projecting over the edges of the mold, compressing thepacking into the pad bottoms within the mold, placing the bur or toppiece over the compressed packingnnd upon the projecting edges of thepad bottom then uniting the edges oi the pad bottoms and the bur piecetogether while under pressure l. The process 015 manufacturing harnesssaddles, which consists in placing the pad bottoms in molds with theiredges projecting over the molds, compressing the packing into thebottoms within the molds, placing the bur or i top piece over the moldsand upon the projecting edges 01? the plid bottoms while the pads areunder pressure, then stitching the pad bottoms to the bur-piece whilethe pads and bur-piece are under pressure.

The process for the manufacture oi harness pads which consists incompressing the packing into the pad bottoms within the molds with theedges or the pad bol tom projecting outwardly over the edges of themolds, clamping the top or bur-piece over the molds upon the edges ofthe pad bottoms while the pads are under pressure in the molds, removingthe pack pads and bur-piece from the press and uniting the bur-piece tothe pad bottom after the pads are packed and while under pressure in themolds and by a continuous stitch.

G. The process for manufacturing harness saddles, which consists inplacing "the pad bottoms in the molds, compressing the packing into thepad bottoms in the molds, retaining the pressure on the pads while thebur or top piece is adjusted over the pad hot toms and compressedpacking in the mold, then stitching the pad bottoms to the bur-piecewith a continuous or unbroken stitch after the pads are packed and whilethe pads are under pressure in the mold.

7. The process of nninul'acturing harness saddles which consists firstin placing the pad bottoms in molds with their edges projecting over theedges of the mold, then packing the pad bottoms within the molds,compressing the packing in the molds and holding the packing compressedwhile the pressure from the press is removed, placing the bur-piece overthe compressed packing with the edges resting upon the pad bottoms andretaining the pressure thereon, removing the mold with the compressedpacking and bur-piece thereon, and stitching the pads and bur-piecetogether by a continuous or unbroken tch after the pads are packed andwhile the packing and burpiece are under pressure within the mold.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to th" specification in thepresence of two subscribing witncssd.

(JASPER ll. (lltlNllS.

Witnesses M. M. (Janv, (1. I). Ronnn.

